First time incubating with NR360 dry hatch

[doctormap22]

I have been enjoying backyard chickens now for about 20 years, started with just four hens in suburbia, then we expanded our flock when we moved out of town, now we have 15-20 free range hens with one rooster. We have always purchased new baby chicks every year to replace the hens that get picked off by predators during the previous year, but this year for the first time I bit the bullet and decided to purchase a NR360 incubator and hatch out my own baby chicks. I have been reading all the posts about dry hatch and watching all the Youtube videos and decided that is the way to go. Started the eggs yesterday, so we will see how this goes. Right now I have the temp set at 100.0 because my Govee says it is 0.5 degrees too low, but the RH is correct. My RH with 22 eggs in there is about 32-33%.

 

[Sally PB]

Good luck!

Did you calibrate the Govee thermometer to check the NR360 temp?

 

[junior67]

Good luck!!!!!!!!! I don't dry hatch but I have a NR360 and a Govee! LOVE both of them!!!!!! be sure you calibrate the Govee and don't just go by what it says out of the box. While you can't put it in water you can put it in a baggie and squeeze all the air out (or put it in a vacuum sealed bag) and place that in the ice water for about 20-30 min then dump that out and start over with new ice and water. wait till the Govee temp stabilizes and it should read 32*. Also calibrate the humidity the normal way with salt a tiny bit of water etc (can find instructions on here). That being said I need to have my incubator around 100-101 (depending on how cold my house is) for it to be 99.5 in the incubator. It won't stay that temp since you will have hot and cold spots but where it rotates around the eggs all hit each one so you want the Ave temp on the govee to be the 99.5

I set eggs on Sat so should hatch April 8 so we are close to same date. You should join the April hatch-a-long with a bunch of us hatching in April.

 

[Party_Chicken]

I just started with my nurture right too! We are on day 4 and I can’t wait for them to hatch! Good luck

 

[junior67]

I just started with my nurture right too! We are on day 4 and I can’t wait for them to hatch! Good luck

I start day 4 later tonight.

 

[doctormap22]

Good luck!!!!!!!!! I don't dry hatch but I have a NR360 and a Govee! LOVE both of them!!!!!! be sure you calibrate the Govee and don't just go by what it says out of the box. While you can't put it in water you can put it in a baggie and squeeze all the air out (or put it in a vacuum sealed bag) and place that in the ice water for about 20-30 min then dump that out and start over with new ice and water. wait till the Govee temp stabilizes and it should read 32*. Also calibrate the humidity the normal way with salt a tiny bit of water etc (can find instructions on here). That being said I need to have my incubator around 100-101 (depending on how cold my house is) for it to be 99.5 in the incubator. It won't stay that temp since you will have hot and cold spots but where it rotates around the eggs all hit each one so you want the Ave temp on the govee to be the 99.5

I set eggs on Sat so should hatch April 8 so we are close to same date. You should join the April hatch-a-long with a bunch of us hatching in April.

How does one join this April hatch? Sounds like fun!